the EOD.”
Her hands had fisted at her sides. “Maybe there are things that are more important than the EOD!”
His fingers curled around her arms, but he made sure not to touch her bandage. He didn’t want to hurt her. Shake her, maybe, for the risks that she seemed so willing to take, but not hurt the woman. “Do you have any idea how many agents are undercover right now? If you compromised their work, they’d die. Do you want that on you? All those deaths... on you? ”
She blinked away what he was pretty sure were tears. “I don’t want any deaths on me. That’s why I’m here.” Then she shoved against him. He kept forgetting how deceptively strong she was. “And why you shouldn’t be here! This is—”
The basement door opened. Light spilled inside, falling down the narrow staircase.
Cale instantly grabbed Cassidy and pushed her behind him. He couldn’t see the face of the man waiting at the top of those stairs.
But it was all too easy to see the gun in his hand.
“Cassidy Sherridan...” That voice—it was the guy from the ballroom. The boss? Or one of his flunkies? “So good to finally have you here.”
“Where’s Genevieve?” Cassidy called out. “Have you hurt her?”
The man didn’t move down the steps.
So Cale started moving toward him.
“I’ve only hurt her a little,” the man said. “Not too much—I still have to give proof of life. Can’t do that if she’s bleeding all over the place. Families doubt when there’s too much blood.”
Cale was at the bottom of the steps.
Logan and Gunner would have followed him to this location. They were probably outside, trying to figure out the best way to storm inside and take over. Cale just needed to buy them time.
“You’ve made a big mistake,” Cale told the man.
“No.” The gun lifted, pointed right at Cale’s chest. “You have. You should have left the girl alone. Just let her come to me in that ballroom. It would have saved you a world of pain if you’d stepped aside.”
He was going to fire. Cale knew it, and he moved in an instant, lunging to the right even as the bullet blasted out of the man’s gun.
Cale just didn’t move fast enough.
The bullet thudded into him. He jerked back, twisting, and fell onto the dirty floor.
Cassidy rushed toward him, and her fingers flew over his body. “Cale!”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t shooting to kill. That was a warning, Ms. Sherridan. You see, I’m not playing games. I will destroy anyone who gets in my way. And next time...unless you do exactly what I say...the bullet will kill your lover.”
The door squeaked as it closed. Then the heavy bolt was thrown into place once more.
“Cale?” Cassidy’s voice was broken. Carefully, slowly, she rolled him over. “Please, Cale, tell me that—”
He opened his eyes. “I’m fine.” He caught her hands. “The bullet barely grazed me.” Because he’d moved quickly.
“But—but I heard it hit you.”
So he was lying. The bullet was in his side, burning him, and he was bleeding a little more than he’d like, but the wound wouldn’t kill him. He’d had much worse. “I’m fine,” he said again.
She was on her knees beside him. “I didn’t want you hurt.”
His blood wasn’t on her hands. “I chose to go after you.”
“You were following orders.” Her trembling fingers slid down his cheek.
He caught her fingers. Rose up toward her and ignored the pain. Their captors thought he was weak now. A mistake on their part. “We’re getting out of here, and we’re getting your friend out.” Because that guy had confirmed that he had Genevieve. It was doubtful that he had two separate prison locations for his victims. So Genevieve was probably somewhere in the building. They just had to find her.
He realized that his mouth was just inches from Cassidy’s. She hadn’t backed away when he’d risen. Her fingers curled around his shoulders. “You knew all this would happen, didn’t you?” There was a new
Her hands had fisted at her sides. “Maybe there are things that are more important than the EOD!”
His fingers curled around her arms, but he made sure not to touch her bandage. He didn’t want to hurt her. Shake her, maybe, for the risks that she seemed so willing to take, but not hurt the woman. “Do you have any idea how many agents are undercover right now? If you compromised their work, they’d die. Do you want that on you? All those deaths... on you? ”
She blinked away what he was pretty sure were tears. “I don’t want any deaths on me. That’s why I’m here.” Then she shoved against him. He kept forgetting how deceptively strong she was. “And why you shouldn’t be here! This is—”
The basement door opened. Light spilled inside, falling down the narrow staircase.
Cale instantly grabbed Cassidy and pushed her behind him. He couldn’t see the face of the man waiting at the top of those stairs.
But it was all too easy to see the gun in his hand.
“Cassidy Sherridan...” That voice—it was the guy from the ballroom. The boss? Or one of his flunkies? “So good to finally have you here.”
“Where’s Genevieve?” Cassidy called out. “Have you hurt her?”
The man didn’t move down the steps.
So Cale started moving toward him.
“I’ve only hurt her a little,” the man said. “Not too much—I still have to give proof of life. Can’t do that if she’s bleeding all over the place. Families doubt when there’s too much blood.”
Cale was at the bottom of the steps.
Logan and Gunner would have followed him to this location. They were probably outside, trying to figure out the best way to storm inside and take over. Cale just needed to buy them time.
“You’ve made a big mistake,” Cale told the man.
“No.” The gun lifted, pointed right at Cale’s chest. “You have. You should have left the girl alone. Just let her come to me in that ballroom. It would have saved you a world of pain if you’d stepped aside.”
He was going to fire. Cale knew it, and he moved in an instant, lunging to the right even as the bullet blasted out of the man’s gun.
Cale just didn’t move fast enough.
The bullet thudded into him. He jerked back, twisting, and fell onto the dirty floor.
Cassidy rushed toward him, and her fingers flew over his body. “Cale!”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t shooting to kill. That was a warning, Ms. Sherridan. You see, I’m not playing games. I will destroy anyone who gets in my way. And next time...unless you do exactly what I say...the bullet will kill your lover.”
The door squeaked as it closed. Then the heavy bolt was thrown into place once more.
“Cale?” Cassidy’s voice was broken. Carefully, slowly, she rolled him over. “Please, Cale, tell me that—”
He opened his eyes. “I’m fine.” He caught her hands. “The bullet barely grazed me.” Because he’d moved quickly.
“But—but I heard it hit you.”
So he was lying. The bullet was in his side, burning him, and he was bleeding a little more than he’d like, but the wound wouldn’t kill him. He’d had much worse. “I’m fine,” he said again.
She was on her knees beside him. “I didn’t want you hurt.”
His blood wasn’t on her hands. “I chose to go after you.”
“You were following orders.” Her trembling fingers slid down his cheek.
He caught her fingers. Rose up toward her and ignored the pain. Their captors thought he was weak now. A mistake on their part. “We’re getting out of here, and we’re getting your friend out.” Because that guy had confirmed that he had Genevieve. It was doubtful that he had two separate prison locations for his victims. So Genevieve was probably somewhere in the building. They just had to find her.
He realized that his mouth was just inches from Cassidy’s. She hadn’t backed away when he’d risen. Her fingers curled around his shoulders. “You knew all this would happen, didn’t you?” There was a new
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